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Do you use both feet when driving an automatic car?
I’ve always driven a manual shift car, pretty much because my dad is a gearhead. But after driving an automatic transmission, it’s so much easier to drive. I’m thinking of making the switch, but I’ve never driven an automatic other than that one time. Do I use both feet when I’m driving an automatic?
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
A manual shift can definitely give you that little extra excitement, but automatics are far easier. If you’ve never driven one before, you do not use both feet when driving an automatic car.
On a manual shift car, you use your left foot for the clutch and your right foot for the brake and accelerator. Because an automatic has no clutch, you don’t need to use your left foot. Simply use your right foot for both the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.
The reasoning behind this is
that it’s safer
. If you were to use both feet, you might get confused about when to use each one. This could result in accidentally hitting the accelerator when you mean to hit the brake and vice-versa.As a failsafe, most automatic cars have a small rubber footrest to remind you not to use your right foot. Practice makes perfect, but try to maintain this idea any time you drive an automatic transmission.
Regardless of which type of transmission you’re driving, you always want to stay safe. And while using the correct footing is always important, so is having the right car insurance. That’s when the
Jerry
app can help.Jerry is a licensed insurance broker that will collect quotes from over 50 top-rated insurers in minutes. After you find a great rate, Jerry can help you buy new insurance and cancel your old policy. Users save an average of $887 per year.
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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